Might Metafilter Mitigate My Metformin Misery?

June 10, 2009 12:14 PM

So there is this lovely drug called Metformin that I take to help control the ole blood sugar and it works a treat. However, it seems to be leaving me with a constant low grade stomach ache and very very frequent Diarrhea. My Doctor and I have experimented with lowering the dose but it does not seem to make much difference. This is a known side-effect of the drug, but I am reluctant to start changing things and risking introduction of new side-effects or lose some of the effectiveness of my current cocktail since it does a good job of keeping the numbers where they should be.

Has anyone out there experienced this issue and found a way to help minimize the side effect? (besides taking it with food, which I do)
posted by Lord Widebottom to Health & Fitness (11 answers total)

If you're not on it already, try switching to the extended release formulation (metformin ER).
posted by ferociouskitty at 12:20 PM on June 10, 2009

I've heard the effect subsides after a few weeks, how long have you been taking it?

Also if you can tolerate it, try taking extra calcium, that should firm things up.
posted by SoulOnIce at 12:52 PM on June 10, 2009

Get the brand name Glumetza. I've got the world's most sensitive stomach, and couldn't even tolerate the ER. Then I went to a new endo who said that Glumetza is tolerated by his patients who can't tolerate anything else - and he was right.

The only downside is getting your insurance to cover it - prepare for a battle.
posted by chez shoes at 12:55 PM on June 10, 2009

I've been through this, only with vomiting in addition to the troubles you describe. I tried Glucophage XR, which was one of the extended release formulas available at the time, and ended up going off the drug altogether for years because the side effects were too much.

Now I'm back on it, with a a different extended release brand called Fortamet and am not having any issues at all. I don't know if there's some difference between the two formulations that could account for the lack of side affects--AFAIK they're just different brands of the same drug.
posted by terilou at 1:02 PM on June 10, 2009

My gastrointestinal issues while I was taking Metformin were so bad that I stopped taking it after a month or two. This was several years ago, so perhaps variations, like the extended release versions or Glumetza, that have been introduced since then will help.
posted by cheapskatebay at 1:36 PM on June 10, 2009

I have no knowledge about how your medication works, or [really] how the one I'm going to recommend works, so please check this out with your doctor.

Prevacid [lansoprazole] is a Proton Pump Inhibitor, which [somehow, magically] stops excess acid production in your stomach. I take it to avoid ulcers because I'm consantly on NSAIDs, and the constant low-grade stomach ache that I used to have goes away.

It doesn't hurt to ask your doctor about it, anyway.
posted by Acari at 2:25 PM on June 10, 2009

If you can find Equalactin, which is an over-the-counter irritable bowel medication, it might be worth trying as a cheap-and-easy first option. I've used it with success when taking other meds that messed up my digestive system, though not this medication or any of its relatives.
posted by Sidhedevil at 2:33 PM on June 10, 2009

Is your diet low-fat and low-carb? I was on Metformin years ago and found my gut problems were least bad when I was on a low carb diet that was also fairly low in fat. Nothing formal, like Atkins or anything, I just shifted more towards chicken breasts and away from starchy snacks. A couple of cookies in the evening would make me miserable all night. The nice thing is it's pretty easy to test this for a couple of days and see if it does you any good.
posted by katemonster at 4:41 PM on June 10, 2009

My sister ate super pro-biotic yogurt every day and that helped her.
posted by psususe at 6:37 PM on June 10, 2009

I've been taking Metformin XR for a few years. In my experience, the side effects go away on their own. Also, keep your fat and carb intake fairly low; when I was adjusting, I found the healthier I ate, the less likely I was to get sick.
posted by canadia at 7:33 PM on June 10, 2009

Try a low-GI diet.
posted by low_horrible_immoral at 4:55 AM on June 11, 2009